Self-sealing vault or receptacle.



W. W. HAASE.

SELF SEALING VAULT 0R RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27,1916. 1,191,964. Patented July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. W. HAASE.

SELF SEALING VAULT 0R RECEPTACL E. APPLICATION FILED MAR-"27' $916.

1,191,964. Patented July 25,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WILIBERT W. HAASE, OF FOREST PARK, ILLINOIS.

SELF-S EALING VAULT OR RECEPTACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application nla March a7, 1916. Serial No. 86,964.

sealing vaults or receptacles comprising a box body member, and a covermember, one of said members having a marginal tongue or flange portion,and the other of said members having a grooved marginal portion adaptedto admit and engage such tongue portion. and, to contain cement oradhesive material for sealing the tongue and grooved marginal portions,and provided with means for covering such groove and its contents beforethe cover is placed in vault-closing position.

The principal object of the inventlon is to provide a simple,economical, and efiicient self-sealing vault or receptacle comprising abox body member and a cover member adapted to be hermetically sealedautomatically by means of cement, or adhesive material contained 1n acovered tongue-engaging groove in one of sald members, when the covermember is lowered into or placed in operative position upon the box bodymember.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear. from thefollowing description 3 and claims, and from an inspection of theaccompanying drawings,'which aremade a part of this specification.

My invention consists in the features, combinations, and details ofconstruction herein 40 described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of avault comprising a cover member and main body member in sealedengagement with each other and constructed in accordance with myinvention and improvements; Fig. '2, a plan view of the vault orreceptacle shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of the box body mem bershown in Fig. 1 with a portion of the cover or sheet of relativelyfragile or brittle material for covering the cement or adhesive materialin the marginal groove broken away, or omitted, so as to show thecement-containing groove which is adapted 6 to ecei e the dependingmarginal tongue or flange portion of the vault'cover memben' Fig. 4, aplan view of the vault cover member shown in inverted position showingthe marginal tongue or flange portion, which is adapted to extend intothe marginal cementcontaining groove of the box body member, and tobreak the covering for such groove when the vault cover member is placedin position. Fig. 5, an enlarged view in transverse vertical section ofthe vault shown in Figs. 1 and 2 taken on line 5 of Fig. 2 looking inthe direction of the arrow. Fig. 6, an enlarged view in transversevertical section showing the covered cement-containing grooved marginalportion or wall of the main box body member and a corresponding tongueor flanged portion of the cover member adapted'to extend into'suchcement-containing groove and to break through the cover for such groove,when the cover is placed in position, and Fig. 7 a similar enlargeddetail view of the parts shown in Fig. 6 showing the tongued and groovedmargins of the vault cover member and main box body member in sealedengagement with each other as they are throughout the entire length ofthe side and end walls of the box body and the corresponding marginalportions of the cover, when the cover isin position upon the box bodymember; and Fig. 8 cross-sectional view of a modified form of concretecover for the cement-containing walls 3, and a bottom 4, and vault cover5.

The vault or box body and cover are, by preference, formed ofor'comprise in their construction concrete containing sand and hydraulicor Portland cement intermixed. in suitable proportions and formed ormolded into the desired shape and dimensions while in a plasticcondition, and allowed to harden. The cover member 5, comprises a topwall, or main cover portion 6, and end walls 7. The top wall, or coverportion 6, is, by preference, in the form of an arch. The side marginalportions 8 of the cover member extend'in parallel relation to the corresponding upper or side marginal portions 9 of the main box body 1,andthe end marginal portions 10 of the cover member ex t nding nparallel relation to the corre sponding upper or end marginal portions11 of the main box body member 1. The cover member is provided with adepending tongue comprising tongue portions, or marginal flanges 12which extend along and throughout the entire length of the longitudinalmarginal portions of the cover member,

' of the cover but between the inner and outer edges of the rim, and inposition to extend downward into a corresponding endless marginal groovein the adjacent or corresponding marginal portions in the main box bodymember 1. This continuous or endless groove in the upper marginalportions or edges of the main box body is adapted to admit and to besecured in sealed engagement with the tongue of "the cover member abovedescribed, and comprises longitudinal marginal groove portions 14 in thelongitudinal marginal portions or edges 9 of the walls 2 respectively,and marginal groove portions 15 in the upper marginal portions or edges11 of the end walls 3, respectively, of the box body member. The grooveportions 14 and 15, thus form a continuous or endless marginal groovewhich extends entirely around the upper marginal portion or rim of themain box body member, but, preferably, between the inner and outer edgesof the rim, or walls in which this groove is formed, and in position toadmit the depending tongue or marginal flange portions, 12 and 13, ofthe cover member, when the cover member is placed in position upon thebox body member. A quantity of cement or adhesive material 16, inplastic condition, is provided, which is by preference, adapted tocontinue or remain in plastic condition for a very long time whencovered or inclosed within a compartment adapted to exclude air andmoisture, as it is when in the covered groove herein described andshown, and which cement may be of any desired ordinary and well knownform suitable for sealing the marginal portions of the cover member andbox body member of a concrete vault together when the cement isautomatically pressed into sealed or sealing engagement with theadjacent marginal portions to be sealed and into position to extend intothe marginal groove above described, comprising groove portions 14 and15. And a cover or a cap 17 of comparatively thin sheet-like form islaid upon, and, by preference, in air tight engagement with the groovedmarginal portions of the box body member in position to extend acrossand form a covering for the cem'ent-containin groove. .This cover or capportion 17 isfiy preference, made of concrete containing sand andPortland or hydraulic cement in such proportions as to form a thin sheethaving sufficient strength to cover and protect the cement contained inthe groove, but is sufficiently fragile or brittle to be readily crushedor broken or torn asunder by the depending tongue or flange of the covermember as such tongue is forced downward through the groove cover orsheet 17, and into the corresponding groove portions 14 and 15 of themain box body member by the weight of the vault cover member. The cement16 contained in the covered groove is thus, in part, forced or squeezedoutward, some remaining in the groove and 'some being squeezed outwardinto position between and in sealed engagement with the marginal surfaceportions 18 and 18 of the cover member and main box body member,respectively, and also in adhesive sealed engagement with the tongue andgroove portions located between the marginal surface portions 18 and 18.The cap portion or sheet 17, thus, by preference made of concrete, maybe made integral with the concrete walls of the vault or main box bodyand is adapted to cover and conceal the cement contained in the groove.The margins or upper wall portions or rim of the main vault or box bodythus have the neat and natural appearance of being formed of solidconcrete. The cover or sheet-like cap 17 is broken by the tongue on thecover member when the cover is lowered into position, as alreadysuggested, and the vault is thus automatically sealed without thenecessity of an attendant climbing onto the. vault "to seal it or toprepare the seal.

The vault, when made in the form shown in the drawings, is, bypreference, provided with suitable transverse rods or metallic members19, embedded in and extending transversely with respect to the bottom ofthe box body at suitable distances from eachother and from the ends ofthe vault to which rods, or reinforcing members, suitable metal loops,or staples 20 are secured. These members 20 project upward from thebottom of the box body on the inside of the vault, and are spaced apartand located in position to form suitable supports for a casket, and toenable straps or cables to be removably connected with such loops orsupporting members 20, for lifting or moving the box body, or main vaultbody. The cover member is provided with metallic horizontal rods, orreinforcing members 21 on opposite sides of the longitudinal center ofthe cover memberto which are secured metallic lifting members, loops orhandles ber,

22, which are adapted to enable the cover to be raised or lowered, orhandled with facility.

I claim:

l. A vault comprising in its construction a main body member and a vaultcover member, one of said members having a groove adapted to containcement, cement in said groove, and a groove cover extending across saidgroove and adapted to be opened by the other of said vault members, topermit the latter to come into contact and sealed engagement with thegrooved member and the cement.

2. A vault comprising in its construction a main body member anda vaultcover memone of said members having a groove adapted to contain plasticcement, cement in said groove, and a groove cover normally extendingacross said groove and its contents, and the other of said vault membershaving a marginal portion adapted to be mounted in contact with saidcement and in sealed engagement with the grooved member and across saidgroove when the groove cover 1s open.

3. A \ault comprising in its construction a main bodymember and a vaultcover member, one of said members having a cementcontaining marginalgroove, and a groove cover extending normally across said groove and itscontents, and a tongue on the other of said vault members adapted to beinserted through the groove'cover and into said groove and in sealedengagement with the grooved member.

4.. A vault comprising in its construction a main body member and avault cover member, one of said vault members having a cement-containing marginal groove, and a groove cover normally extendingacross said groove and its contents, and the other of said vault membershaving a marginal portion adapted to engage and break said groove coverand extend in sealed engagement with the grooved member and the ocmentwhen the vault cover member is in position .upon the main body member.

5. A vault comprising in its construction a main box body member havingside and end walls provided with a groove in the upper edges'thereofadapted to contain plastic cement, cement in said groove, a groove covernormally extending across said groove and lts contents and in sealedengagement with the grooved main box body member, and a vault covermember provided with a marginal portion adapted to engage said groovecover and extend into and in sealed engagement with thecement-containing groove.

6. A vault comprising in its construction a main box body memberprovided with side and end walls having a groove in the upper edgesthereof adapted to contain plastic cement, cement in said groove, agroove cover normally extending across said groove and its contents andin sealed engagement with the main box body member along the oppositeedges of the groove, a vault cover member, and a depending tongueextending around the bottom marginal portion of the vault cover memberand adapted to be inserted through the groove cover and into and insealed engagement with the cementcontaining groove.

7. A vault comprising in its construction a main body member havingconcrete side and end wall portions provided with a groove in the upperedges thereof adapted to contain plastic cement, )lastic cement in saidgroove, a concrete groove cover integral with the concrete main vaultbody member and normally extending across said groove and its contentsand adapted to be broken, to permit the cement to engage the surfaces ofthe vault members to be sealed thereby, and a vault cover member havinga depending marginal portion formed of concrete and adapted to beinserted through the groove cover and into and in sealed engagement withthe cement-containing groove.

8. A vault comprising in its construction a box body member havingconcrete side and end wall portions provided with a groove in the upperedges thereof adapted to contain plastic cement, cement in said groove,and a groove cover formed of a layer of concrete integral with thegrooved concrete wall portions of the body member, and extending acrosssaid groove and its contents and adapted to be broken to permit thecement to come into sealing engagement with the adjacent surfaces ofsaid box body member and a vaultcover member to be secured in sealedengagement with said body member.

Signed at- Chicago, Illinois, March 15,

WILBERT W. HAASE.

'Witnesses:

HARRY IRWIN CROMER, W. HARDING.

